First Credit Bureau (FCB) issued a statement following the arrest of its general director Ruslan Omarov, who is suspected of giving a large bribe. The organisation confirmed its cooperation with the Centre for the Development of Labour Resources (CDLR) but emphasised that the interaction is lawful and carried out in compliance with all regulations.
According to Kursiv.media, the FCB explained that the bureau receives data from the CDLR to supplement credit histories. This practice "is not unique" — similar agreements have also been concluded with the State Credit Bureau.
"The practice of enriching credit histories with additional information from state sources has long been used in the market and is not a novelty. It is aimed at a more accurate assessment of the borrower's solvency, which allows the lender to minimise the risks of non-repayment and make a more informed decision," the FCB noted.
The bureau also stressed that the investigation into Omarov is ongoing and urged people to refrain from making assumptions.
"Any comments or interpretations at this stage will be assumptions and do not correspond to reality," the bureau stated.
For context, earlier, employees of the Almaty Department of Economic Investigations detained the general director of the FCB Ruslan Omarov, the head of the CDLR Akmadi Sarbasov (former Vice Minister of Labour and Social Protection of the Population of the Republic of Kazakhstan), as well as the former head of the CDLR Daulet Argandykov (former Vice Minister of Healthcare and Social Development of the Republic of Kazakhstan). The arrest occurred during the transfer of another bribe totalling $75,000 (38.9 million tenge).